Over the Top

Director - Menahem Golan (The Delta Force)

Starring - Sylvester Stallone (Rambo), Robert Loggia (Independence Day), and David Mendenhall (The Forgotten)

Release Date- 1987

Genre - Action

Tagline - "Some fight for money...some fight for glory...He's fighting for his son's love"

Rating (out of 5):

 

     I have seen this movie many times growing up and like most children because this one was not animated or had adults in spandex uniforms the same color as their skin tone I tended to ignore most of it.  Here recently I have been watching my fair share of 80's action and horror films and thought I would start building a collection of Stallone films, at least the ones where he keeps his pants on.  Funny how your tastes stay the same and change all at the same time.  Like how now I still enjoy watching Pee Wee's Playhouse and now watch the movies I often avoided when I was a child like JCVD and Chuck Norris films. 

     The film follows Lincoln Hawk (Stallone) as he struggles to repair the relationship between himself and his son.  Hawks left the boy and his ailing mother under the care of her mother's father Jason Cutler (Loggia).  Cutler, a rich and powerful man, will do anything to keep Hawks out of his grandson's life.  However, the dying mother has other plans up her sleeve.  While her son is graduating from military school she calls Hawks to have him pick his son up and drive him home so the two can get to know each other a little better.  Before Cutler arrives to pick up his grandson Hawks picks the little fella up with his semi.  The boy shows hatred and resentment to his father because of the stories his grandfather has been telling him.  Along the way home the two do, indeed, bond while both teaching each other life lessons and other bullshit.  Once Cutler finds out his dying daughter had Hawks pick up his grandson he becomes furious and sends his goons, lead by Ruker (played by Terry Funk), to pick him up.  It is later revealed that Hawks is an amazing arm wrestler and often hustles other truckers at rest stops for extra cash.  After having his son kidnapped, car chases, and some random arm wrestling scenes the two finally arrive at the hospital where his mother is being kept.  The two find that she had passed away after having heart surgery.  His son, now blaming Hawks for not being able to arrive fast enough to see his dying mother, goes back to his grandfather's house.  Hawks, upset she had passed and losing his son to an asshole, crashed through Cutler's gate with his semi and fights a few goons before Ruker and another goon restrain him and call the police.  Cutler sends a lawyer to see Hawks in jail to tell him that if he leaves his son under his care and leaves the state he will not press charges.  Hawks agrees and leaves for Las Vegas to compete in the arm wrestling championship.   Hawks, in hopes of winning the competition, wants to take the prize money and buy more trucks to start his own business.  Also,  seeing that he has turned his life around, his son will leave Cutler and stay with him.  Only downside to his plan is the odds are against him at 20-1.  He sells his semi for a few thousand and goes all in on himself.  While Hawks is competing, his son is going through his mother's things and finds all his father's letter written to him and his mother and realizes that his grandfather has been lying to him about his father.  He then steals a car and heads for the competition to be with his father.  After many grueling matches Stallone comes out on time.  Like a bad ass mofo.  

      This movie is more for 80's cheese fans than those looking for a good action flick.  Typical Stallone films has explosions, gun fights, and babes but you wont find those in this one.  However, it does have some good fight scenes and some of the funniest faces ever filmed.  I tried to find the best pics for my review to reflect that.  Almost every arm wrestling match had me laughing like a fat kid watching Over the Top's arm wrestling scenes...  Anyway, I highly recommend any film with Chainsaw Charlie.  Give it a watch and let your chest hair grow a little.